Fabrication of single domain GdBCO bulks with different new kind of liquid sources by TSIG technique

Single domain GdBCO bulk superconductors have been fabricated with different new kinds of liquid sources by Top Seeded Infiltration and Growth process. A conventional liquid source is a mixture of REBa2Cu3O7−x and Ba3Cu5O8 in a ratio of 1:1; new liquid sources are made of a mixture of RE2BaCuO5 + 9BaCuO2 + 6CuO or RE2O3 + 10BaCuO2 + 6CuO. The microstructures and levitation forces of the GdBCO bulks have also been investigated. The properties of the samples fabricated are nearly the same as those of samples fabricated with conventional liquid sources, which indicates that the new liquid sources are very important to reduce the cost and improve the working efficient on the fabrication of single-domain GdBCO bulk superconductors.

► Single domain GdBCO bulks can be fabricated by the new liquid phase sources.
► The levitation forces of the GdBCO bulks are the relatively better than that of the conventional one.
► New liquid phase sources can reduce the fabrication cost of single domain GdBCO bulks.